Save me a star - A different take on what happened after the fire
by Imagination-LastWayOut1
Summary: This is a different take on what happened after the fire burned down Barnum's museum. Philips parents devised an evil plan to get Philip to come home after he recovered from his burns. Philip believes Anne died in the fire, whereas Anne thinks that the man she loves lost his life to save her. Will they get their happy end? I do not own any of the characters.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any of the characters. Rated M just in case. This story has some language and violent themes. I hope you guys like it :)

Chapter 1

Anne had been in the dressing rooms at the back of the building when the fire started. She had tried to join the others to flee the fire but had found her exit blocked by the searing flames. She could barely hear the others shouts over the fire to free the animals and get out and knew that her calls for help would not be heard over the noise. She turned around in the room and took a quick inventory of everything and all possible exits.  
There was a window rather high up that she could possibly try to squeeze through. It was small and it would be a tight fit, but Anne had to make it work if she wanted to live. And living was definitely what she wanted. She had just found a real family that accepted her and WD for who they were and was finally happy. There was no way that she was giving up that easily.  
The thought of Phillip Carlyle had crossed her mind. All attempts to show her his love had been a real disaster, but Anne knew how he felt about her. And as much as she wanted to ignore the fact, she could not imagine a life without him either.  
Using any boxes and crates she could find, Anne tried to climb up closer and closer to the window. The flames had entered the room and started to eat their way through anything that got into their way. Anne coughed roughly. The smoke was getting unbearable and she looked longingly to the small window that was still just too high for her to reach. She would give Phillip a chance if she got out of here. No… when she got out of here.  
With a fierce determination, Anne leaped into the air, grabbing hold of the thick curtain framing the window. The curtain rod creaked under the weight and Anne hoped it would hold long enough to pull herself up. At that point she was glad that her act was trapeze as it would have otherwise been impossible to pull herself to the little sill underneath the window.  
She quickly grabbed hold of the little ledge and threw the window open. There was a good 5 meters drop to the ground, but Anne was used to falling higher distances and rolling just the right way to not hurt herself. She squeezed herself through the tiny opening just as the flames engulfed the curtain she had been holding onto just moments ago.  
Letting go of the windowsill, Anne felt the cool air across her skin as she dropped to the ground, rolling off to the side unhurt. Quickly getting up, the young girl raced around the side of the building to join the others, hoping that everyone had gotten out alright.  
Coming around the last corner of the building, she could hear frantic screams. First, she recognised her name being yelled out desperately by her brother and the others. Then she heard a quick shout go through the crowd and people yelling at someone to not go back into the flames. Anne panicked. What if WD had run back into the building for her.  
She sped up and rushed around the building, leaping over discarded objects that go into her way. There was WD, being held back by Barnum and Lettie. "WD! WD I'm here!" she yelled. Barnum noticed her immediately and made her brother aware of her presence. WD turned to her and she flung her arms around him, pressing her face into his shoulder. WD held her in a bone crushing hug, as if he would never ever let go of his sister again, whispering words of relief into her ear.  
Relief flooded through Anne's body for a brief moment until she realised that someone was missing. Phillip was nowhere to be seen and she noticed Barnum giving his family a last loving look before turning and rushing back into the building.  
Anne felt as if she was choking. Tears fell from her sorrowful eyes as everyone watched what they once knew as home burn. The roof had collapsed of Barnum's Museum for the Extraordinary and there was no hope of the building ever surviving the fierce blaze that tore through it. The two city fire engines were pumping water fiercely, but to no avail. She was pressed against WDs chest, clinging to him while sobs ripped through her body. Phillip and Barnum were still inside. The building had collapsed on top of them. When she had finally decided to give the love of her life a chance to prove himself, life had taken him away from her. Suddenly a shout rang through the crowd and Anne lifted her head. A figure could be seen through the smoke and shortly after Barnum appeared with a seemingly unconscious Phillip in his arms. Another sob tore through Anne's body when she looked at the still figure in Barnum's arms.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Phillips shirt was torn and burns were visible all over his body. There was a huge gash on his forehead and his face was incredibly pale. Anne's knees gave in seeing the man, who so desperately had tried to show his love for her, in this state. WD steadied her and she would have probably fallen to the ground were she not pressed against her brother body protectively. The troupe watched as Barnum places Phillip on a stretcher and stared after the ambulance carriage that took their ringmaster, friend and brother away.  
When the carriage was out of sight, the troupe turned towards Barnum, who gave everyone a sign to follow. "Come on, Anne. We'll have to go find somewhere to stay over the night. There is nothing you can do.", WD tried to pull Anne away, following their family. But Anne's feet weren't moving anywhere "I can't! I have to go see if he is okay. I have to go after him!" She sobbed. WD turned back to her and looked at her sadly. After a moment he sighed "Alright, come on. I'll walk you to the hospital. But don't expect too much. He inhaled a lot of smoke and will most likely be in the hospital for a while. I don't think they'll let you in there to see him." Anne nodded, dropping her head down.  
She knew what WD was talking about. The hospital was run by white people for white people. Her kind was not supposed to be treated or seen there. If they got sick they might call the town doctor or just get over it. They did not get the same treatment as the upper class. WD put his arms around his sister's shoulders and drew her close "Come on, let's go. I'll walk you there and we'll see if they at least tell us how he is."  
Slowly they walked through the streets towards the hospital. When they arrived at the building and climbed the stairs, Anne was well aware of all the stares the siblings received from the few people passing. She silently opened the door and approached the front desk, her head hanging low trying to show respect to all the "superior" people, as they called themselves. The woman behind the front desk gave Anne a disgusted look "What do you want here. You should know that your kind is not welcomed here!" Anne shrunk back, her brothers hand reaching up to her lower back for support. "I just wanted to know if there was any word of Mr Carlyle and how he is", the words came out close to a whisper as Anne tentatively looked up to the woman. The nurse behind the desk sneered "Well, even if there was word, you cannot expect us to give out such information to the help. Now go away before I have to call the police on you. You have no right to be here. Know your place!" Anne lowered her head in shame again, while WDs eyes burned with rage: "At least tell us if he is alive! That really isn't too much to ask!" The nurse looked first shocked, then angry as she heard WDs words. "My! Who do you think you are? You scum get out of this hospital this instance. It is very late at night and this is a place for healing and you have no business here!"  
WD grabbed Anne's hand and pulled her back through the door and down the front stairs of the hospital "Let's go Anne. Carlyle will be fine. He's going to be back in a few days and will be fine." Anne stopped after a few steps and slowly pulled her hand out of her brothers. "I would like to stay here for a bit if that is okay. Maybe his parents come by and I can find out something. Please, WD. I can't just let him be here all alone. I have to know what is going on with him. I love him." The last words came out in a whisper but WD had heard them anyway.  
He rubbed his hand over his face and his eyes took on a soft and understanding shine "I know… why do you think I wanted you to stay away from him. I know you love him, and I know how much he loves you. But you also know that it just cannot be. He is one of them, Anne. He is white and rich, and you guys will always have to bear the stares and disapproving shouts from people. I just don't want you to get hurt. But if you have to stay, then I can understand. But just for a while, okay? I'll see if the others have found a place to stay. I'd say Barnum has organised rooms for them all at the bar. He knows the Bar keeper well and they often rent out the rooms above the bar. Come meet me there in a little while, okay? Just… be careful and don't be too long." Anne nodded and gave her brother a long hug before sitting down on the stairs that lead to the entrance of the hospital. If Phillips parents were to come by, they would have to pass the stairs. This way she couldn't miss them.  
WD threw one last worried look at his sister and slowly made his way down the street.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It took only about half an hour before Mr and Mrs Carlyle hectically made their way towards the hospital entrance, woken at the late hour by the police to be informed that their son was in hospital. Anne looked up and jumped to her feet as soon as she recognised Phillips parents.  
She slowly walked towards the pair and stopped a little distance away "Mr and Mrs Carlyle… please… my name is Anne Wheeler. I met you at the theatre the other day. Would you… please could you let me know how Phillip is? They wouldn't let me in to see him." Anne looked hopefully up to the two, who had a shocked and angry impression on their face. "How dare you! Haven't you done enough? If Phillip would have never met you, he wouldn't be in this situation right now. I want you to stay away. Go be with your freaks but leave our son alone", Mr Carlyle's words were harsh as he spat at Anne's feet and pulled his wife up the stairs.  
Tears threatened to fall from Anne's eyes and she quickly wiped them away, not giving up hope on an update on the man she loved. She sat stubbornly down on the stairs again, waiting for Phillips parents to return from their visit to their son. She had to wait another two hours before the couple made their way down the wide stairs. Mrs Carlyle was crying into a handkerchief and Anne's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. She shot to her feet again and raced over to the two only people that could shed some light on Phillips state of health.  
"Please, Mr Carlyle. Please! Just… is he alive? Will he be okay? I'll leave right away if you just tell me if he will be okay!" Now Anne couldn't stop the tears from slipping down her own cheeks. Mr Carlyle gave his wife a look and a small nod and stomped over to where Anne was standing a few feet away "You! You are a disgrace for humanity. You are scum. How dare you come here and ask us such questions at such a tragic time for our family. Haven't you done enough? Don't you think I don't know that he went back into the fire to save your lowlife being? Our son risked his life for you! For someone who was not worth it! And now he is gone. You have killed our son!"  
He pushed Anne, making her loose her footing and tumble down the last couple of steps. She stayed on the ground at the bottom of the stairs, taking in the words she just heard. Phillip… her Phillip… the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, had risked his life for her and lost the battle. He had died to save her, who hadn't even needed saving. He had died, so her worthless being could live. Anne just couldn't comprehend what was happening and was silently sitting on the ground, ignoring all the whispers and stares around her.  
Mr Carlyle went over to his wife, who was sobbing dramatically into her husbands embrace. They walked past Anne and Mr Carlyle threw her a last disgusted look, spitting at her. Anne stayed on the ground for a while, not being able to pull herself up… not knowing what on earth she was supposed to do now… how on earth she was supposed to go on living without Phillip.  
What she didn't know was, that as soon as the Carlyles had disappeared behind the first corner and were out of sight, Mrs Carlyle's tears had suddenly stopped and she had taken herself out of her husband's embrace, smirking at him "Well the plan worked… that will hopefully teach that little bitch to stay away from our son. We'll take him out of the hospital tonight and bring him back home for his recovery. They promised not to let anyone in and Dr Andrews said that Phillip would be safe to be moved by tonight. He might not wake up for another few weeks as he is in a coma, but Dr Andrews said he could just as much get the medical attention he needs at home until he wakes up. And then he will notice that he is much better off without those freaks and stay with us after we have taken care of him. Maybe we could send that Anne girl off somewhere so she is far away from our son and there is no chance of them seeing each other again. But off course, we'll have to move, too. I mean the rest of the freaks would eventually notice that Phillip is still alive. And we really want them to keep away. We have a little while to figure things out while Phillip recovers, but I think this will work." The pair laughed and continued on their way home.

Meanwhile, Anne had no idea of the horrific plan Phillip's parents had decided to pull to get their son back. She was still perched at the bottom of the stairs, dazed from the news she had just heard. She pulled herself up and started slowly walking down the street without any aim at all.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Just a short chapter this time :)

Chapter 4

Anne had wandered through town without aim for the past couple of hours, when she recognized the burned remains of the place she once called home. She stopped in front of the ruins of the circus and fell down into the ashes, allowing reality to hit and sobs to tear through her body. It was still very early in the morning, and not many people were around. Anne ran her hands through the still warm ashes. Just a few hours ago her world was fine. She had her brother, a home, a family, a man who loved her. Now she felt like everything was falling apart.  
Anne stayed there for a little while allowing her tears to fall freely. When the sun started to rise above the horizon, she stood up and brushed the ashes off her dress. Slowly she made her way towards the bar, where she knew WD and the rest of the troupe would be.  
She opened the door to the bar and the talking inside stopped instantly. All eyes were on her, looking for an update on the only member of the freak family that was not in the bar with them. WD walked up to his sister, his eyes dimming when he took in her tear stained face. He knew without her having to say a single word. Anne lifted her eyes and took one look at her brother and the others before her legs gave out underneath her and fresh tears welled up in her eyes.  
WD rushed forward and caught Anne, holding her close to himself while she sobbed into his embrace. "Oh Anne… I'm so sorry." WD had an anguished look on his face. As much as he didn't like how Phillip Carlyle looked at his sister, he still didn't wish death upon him and new how much his sister was hurt by the passing of the man she loved. He held her tight while she cried looking at the rest of their family, who were all quietly sitting on the bar stools with silent tears falling down their cheeks. Everyone felt the loss of their friends.

Anne's sobs slowly died down and WD realised that she had fallen asleep in his arms. He gently picked her up and, nodding sadly to the rest of his family, took his exhausted sister upstairs to the rooms that were made available for Barnum's troupe as a temporary home. Carefully he laid Anne onto the bed next to his, covering her with the blanket. He sighed, a lone tear escaping his eye. He had no idea how to fix this. He had no idea how to protect his sister of the pain she was in. He had always protected Anne from anything he possibly could. But he could not protect her from this. WD laid in the bed next to his sister and succumbed to a troubled sleep.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

When he awoke, the bed next to him was empty. Quickly, WD sat up and looked around the room for his sister. He found her sitting on the windowsill, face pressed against the cool glass, a blank look on her face. Relieved, he got up from the bed and walked over to her. "Hey… did you get some sleep?"  
Anne barely acknowledged her brother, eyes staring into the distance, slightly shrugging her shoulders. WD sighed slightly.  
"Well, I'm going to go downstairs and see if the others are up. I'll bring some food up if you are hungry" He looked towards his sister, hoping for any sign that she had heard and understood, but Anne just turned her head back towards the window, watching the world go by below. With a last look towards her, WD turned around and headed out the door.  
He descended the stairs and found Lettie and Barnum sitting at the bar eating breakfast. When they heard his footsteps, both turned around and looked at him with sadness in their eyes. Lettie's eyes were red and WD knew that she probably had been crying most of the night. "How is Anne? Did she get some sleep?" asked Lettie. WD sighed again and sat down heavily on a chair next to his friends "I'm not sure. She is so… blank. I don't think she slept much. She hardly acknowledged that I was there when I got up. I'm going back up to bring her some food. See if she eats some of it."  
Lettie gripped his shoulder in a reassuring clasp and got up "We brought breakfast for everyone. There is bread and jams in the back. Let me get some ready for you and Anne." With that, Lettie disappeared toward the back rooms of the bar.  
Barnum turned towards WD and gave him a small smile "Charles, Constantine and the twins have gone back to the museum. They wanted to see if there is anything that is salvageable but I don't think they'll find much. I had a quick stop there before I came here. I'm really sorry that there isn't much more I can do. The circus is lost and no banks would lend us any more money to start over."  
WD shrugged his shoulders "There isn't much you could have done. You gave us a family… a home. But we all had lives before you came along. I guess we'll have to go back to that. At least we'll always be friends and know we have a family around, even though we can't be together much. We all survived before. We'll survive again."  
Lettie came back into the room with a plate full of toast and different spreads. She gave WD a little smile and passed the plate to him "I made enough for the two of you. Thought you'd like to have yours upstairs with Anne." WD took the plate from her and gave her a thankful nod. Just before he reached the stairs that lead to their rooms, he heard Lettie's voice "It will be okay. You will see. Everything is going to turn out okay eventually."  
Without reply, WD climbed the stairs and opened the door to the room he was sharing with his sister. Anne had not moved at all while he had been gone and WD found himself starting to worry. He knew that Anne would take Phillips death the hardest, but he was hoping she would be able to accept life without him eventually. She hadn't known him for that long after all and lived a whole 19 years without him. She would get over him eventually, going back to the lives they had before the circus.  
However, that hope was pushed down when Anne refused to eat anything that morning, and even for the rest of the day. All she did was sit at the window, looking off into the distance. She didn't cry, she didn't smile, she didn't talk. Even Lettie and Barnum came up at some point but didn't get more than a distant look from her. The next day was exactly the same and on the third day, WD got desperate and tried to force her to eat some of the toast he had made. "Come on Annie, please. Just a few bites. You have to eat." In return, Anne grabbed the plate off him and flung it across the room angrily. The plate broke into several pieces, the toast sliding down the wall. Instantly Anne turned away towards the window again, ignoring the presence of anyone in the room. No one knew what to do and how to get Anne out of her misery.  
On the fourth day, however, something happened that no one thought would ever happen.

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

When WD walked down the stairs that morning, he did not expect to see a woman enter the bar that none of them thought they ever see again, let alone at a place like this. Mrs Carlyle had entered the bar just moments ago, looking around to find someone she could talk to.  
None of the circus members knew what to say, and Barnum was nowhere around.  
WD cleared his throat and walked towards the woman "Good morning, can we help you with anything? Are you looking for someone? Mr Barnum hasn't arrived yet"  
He could not imagine what a woman like Mrs Carlyle could want at a bar in this part of town unless she was looking for someone in particular.  
Mrs Carlyle's cheeks flushed and she turned towards WD "Actually, I was looking for that girl that was so upset the other day about my son's death. Anne is her name I believe? Phillip has told us so much about her before… We were never very welcoming to the thought that he would fall in love with… well a girl like her. But since his death I have had a change of heart. She was so broken when we gave her the news that he died. I heard that there is no hope for Mr Barnum's museum and I wanted to help. It's what Phillip would have wanted. May I talk to Anne for a minute?"  
WD frowned in confusion, but turned towards the stairs regardless "Anne is upstairs, but don't expect much of an answer from her. She hasn't been well since your son's death."  
He couldn't imagine how Mrs Carlyle could possible help, but by now he was happy to try anything. The two walked up the stairs and WD lead her into the siblings shared room. Mrs Carlyle looked at him expectantly but WD crossed his arms in front of his chest and stood firmly by the door. He was not about to leave his sister alone with a white, high society woman, especially not in her state. Mrs Carlyle seemed to think for a second and then nodded in defeat. She would have to talk to Anne with her brother present if she wanted or not.  
Mrs Carlyle walked towards Anne and laid a hand on her shoulder "Anne, I wanted to thank you for caring about my son. I know we haven't been very… accepting of you… and my husband still isn't, but I know Phillip would have wanted me to try"  
Hearing Phillip's name, Anne turned her face towards Mrs Carlyle and for the first time since his death, her eyes were focused instead of looking into the distance.  
"I'm sorry for your loss Mrs Carlyle. I know how hard it is to miss Phillip. But I can't imagine how you must feel having lost your son. I wish there was something I could do to bring him back" Anne's quiet voice floated through the room.  
WD stood up straight. This was the first time Anne had talked in the past days and it was to that woman. 'Maybe her being here might not be that bad if it brings Anne out of her shell' he thought.  
Mrs Carlyle smiled at Anne and said "Well no one can change the past. Phillip is gone and we all have to live with it. My husband and I are going to move at the end of this week. We couldn't bear living here anymore. We are just reminded of him everywhere we go. I thought that might be the same for you, too. I know the circus won't be able to be rebuild and I thought I could help out a bit. I know Phillip would have wanted me to. We have a dear friend in a town about two hours from here. I know it is a bit of a distance away, but he is looking for a help. So I suggested that you could maybe be employed by him. He is great with his staff and I thought it would make it easier for you if you were in a different town, not always reminded of Phillip. We have also found some work for your brother at a friend's place here in town."  
She looked over to the man standing at the door "I know you two probably would have not been separated before but I thought it might give you two an opportunity to get back on track and the positions pay enough that you might be able to help out your friends who cannot find a job quickly."  
She smiled sweetly. WD didn't trust the woman. Something seemed fake about the way she talked to Anne.  
But Anne had taken an interest in the woman's words. She turned completely around and took Mrs Carlyle's words in "Why are you helping us now? Your husband was horrible to me at the hospital"  
Mrs Carlyle tried to look ashamed and answered quickly "Yes, he was. He doesn't know I am here. He thinks I am getting a few last things in town before the move. Like I said, we didn't approve of you and my son and my husband still doesn't. But I have had a change of heart since Phillips death. If you were important enough for him to run back into that building to safe you, then I should honour his wishes and help. It would be what he wanted"  
Anne flinched at the reminder that Phillips death was her fault. If she had gotten out sooner and made it to their group a few moments earlier, Phillip would still be alive.  
She turned back towards the window "I will take you offer. Tell your friend I will be on the first train tomorrow. And WD will take the job as well." WD made a move in protest but Anne silenced him immediately "I think it will be good for me to get away and be by myself for a while. Like you said Mrs Carlyle, everything reminds of him. And this way WD and I will be able to help our friends financially. So we will take your offer. Thank you very much."  
Mrs Carlyle smiled pleased with herself and turned towards the door "Fantastic, I'm glad I could honour my sons wishes a last time and help out the girl he liked. I will send word to my friend immediately."  
She walked out the door swiftly and disappeared down the stairs.  
WD remained in the room, staring at Anne as if she had grown two heads "First you shut down completely for four days and then you just take up an offer like this without talking to me first? Or thinking through it? I don't like that woman one bit. And I don't think she is being genuine. Think of it Anne… how am I supposed to protect you and be there for you if we are in two completely different towns… TWO HOURS apart!"  
Anne turned to her brother and gave him cool look "I don't want you to be there to protect me! I want to have my own life and do this on my own. And this way at least we can help Charles, and Lettie, and Constantine, and all the others. They might not get offers like this so quickly. They might not be able to go back to their old jobs. How are they supposed to survive on the streets without a job? At least this way we can help our family. Go protect them for a change. I don't need your protection, it might get you killed anyway"  
And with those words she turned back around to the window. WDs mouth hang open. He had no idea what to say to this. He knew that this decision would help the others, but him and Anne had never been separated before and he worried about her. On the other side, this was the most animated she had been since Phillips death and if distance was what she needed, then why deny it to her. They could write, he could visit her… she was independent… she could look after herself. So instead of arguing with her, WD turned on his heels and walked downstairs to inform the others of her decision. He didn't notice the lone tear running down along Anne's nose, dripping down on her dress which was still dusted with ash from the fire.

To be continued...

I hope you guys like the story so far. I have the rest of the chapters written. Just have to upload them :) I will do that in the next couple of days. I promise. But I still have to review the other chapters before posting and am very busy at work the next couple of days. So please bare with me. I'll hopefully have them all up before the weekend.


	7. Chapter 7

Just a very short one this time :)

Chapter 7

The next morning, Anne had her shoal wrapped around her shoulders, waiting in the cool morning air for the train. All her belongings had burned in the fire, so she was travelling light to the house of her new employer. WD, Lettie, Barnum and the others were at the train station with her, bidding her farewell. None besides WD, Lettie and Anne had found jobs so far and everyone was grateful for their support so that they did not have to live out in the streets until they found jobs themselves. There were great goodbyes but all hugs were returned by Anne only half-heartedly. It was as if she was still lifeless and WD hoped that she would be better if got away from this place. However, somehow he could not shake the feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.

The train rode in and Anne turned around a last time, giving a short wave before jumping onto the train and heading to the "coloured" section of the train that was reserved for "folks of her kind". She looked out the window and saw her friends and family waiting for the train to leave, for her to leave and a sorrow built up in Anne. She was supposed to have a wonderful life with her friends and family, with Phillip. And now she couldn't wait to get out of this place. How had her life turned around so quickly? The train started off and soon Anne would be at her new living-quarters. She did not dare call it home. In her opinion, nothing could be her home again. Not without Phillip and the circus. Anne turned towards the window and rested her face against the glass. It was the right thing to do, she told herself. Soon she fell asleep and only woke when the train stopped. She had no idea what her new position would be like, what her employer would be like. But Mrs Carlyle had said that he was good with his staff members. Maybe he was different than other white, high society men. If only she knew that this was all part of Mrs and Mr Carlyle's plan to get her away so that Phillip would return to their society.

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Phillip woke up in an unfamiliar room. He wasn't sure where he was or what had happened and tentatively called out  
"Anne? P.T? Anyone there?" Even though he didn't feel unwell, he felt rather exhausted and weak. Suddenly the door flew open and Phillip couldn't believe it when his mother barged in "Phillip! You are awake. Oh thank goodness! How are you my dear? I will get the doctor straight away!"  
Phillip threw his mother a confused look "Mother? What are you doing here? Where am I?"  
His mother rushed to his side "Oh Phillip. You were in a terrible fire. The burns healed quickly but you hit your head and were in a coma for four months"  
Phillip drew in a sharp breath. Four month… and then it hit him. The circus burned down. He went in to save Anne.  
"Anne! Is she alive? God, did I make it to her? Did anyone save her?"  
His mother looked at him sadly "Phillip… that girl didn't make it. You ran in after her but it was too late. What were you thinking risking your life for the help…"  
There were more words coming out of his mother's mouth but Phillip stopped listening.  
Anne was dead.  
The girl of his dreams, the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with, was dead. He had been too late. It was his fault.  
And then his thought went to WD and the rest of the troupe. He threw the blanket off himself and slid his legs of the side of the bed.  
"Where do you think you are going young man?" his mother's voice came into focus again.  
"Mother, I need to see WD. Her brother… he must be devastated. I have to go see him, have to tell him that I am sorry that I couldn't save her!"  
His mother pushed him back onto the bed and drew the blanket back over him "No, you will not go anywhere. Those freaks have made their opinion quite clear. Not one has been to see you! Quite the opposite! When we asked them to come and visit, that man and his …bunch of aberrations… told us they never wanted to see you again. They said that you couldn't even save one of them. Especially that excuse of a man, what did you call him? WD? He was furious. He might have been grieving for his sister but he had no right to yell at your father and I for your inability to save that girl. It was no way to speak to us. He does not know his place. So you will not go see them. You will recover after you have just woken up. They don't deserve you my darling. All you do is risk your life for those monsters and they hold it against you and are ungrateful. We had to move away to a different town because of all the hate we experienced. It was embarrassing."  
She fluffed up his pillow, not noticing what effect those words had on her son. WD blamed him for Anne's death… but he was right, he thought, it was his fault. Could he have just been a bit faster or hold on longer. He could have saved her if he had tried harder.  
Eventually his mother left him alone for a while, calling the doctor to check him out. He could see several burn scars on his torso and a scar on his forehead where he must have hit his head in the fire, but otherwise Phillip was feeling fine.  
The doctor declared that he was fit enough to get up and walk around a little as long as he took it easy. So for the next days Phillip walked around the house, deep in thoughts. As much as he thought that it was his fault that Anne had died, he could not believe that all his friends had rejected him and had never visited.  
'I shall write WD a letter. I must say how sorry I am that I couldn't save her. He has to know that I tried, how I felt about her!' he thought.  
That afternoon Phillip sat down and wrote an apology letter to WD and hoped the man could forgive him for his failure of protecting his sister.  
Phillip couldn't send it there and he wasn't sure if Barnum still lived at his previous address anymore. He decided to send the letter to the bar that everyone had frequent. He was sure that some of his friends… no ex-friends apparently… would still attend the bar occasionally and could deliver the letter to WD.  
'Hopefully he'll get the letter and at least knows that I wish I could do anything to bring Anne back. That I wish the roles were reversed and that she would be alive and I was dead' For the next days, Phillip spent his days inside. There mere thought of having to live a life without Anne brought tears to his eyes and he would return to his room to sit in quiet.

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

WD sat at the bar nursing his second drink for that night.  
The position he had taken at the insistence of Mrs Carlyle was hard work but he didn't complain.  
Even though some more of his friends had found jobs, not everyone had found something and the ones that did weren't usually paid much.  
Together, and with the money that Anne sent regularly, everyone was doing fine. Maybe not great, and they were all still living above the bar, but at least everyone could be fed and clothed and had a roof over the head.  
Their family was at least mostly still together.  
Anne sent letters every couple of weeks with money from her job a few hours away, but WD had noticed that her words never sounded right. He couldn't tell what it was, but it felt like they weren't Anne's words… like someone else had written them. But he knew his sisters handwriting well. By all means, he had taught her to read and write! Of course he knew her handwriting. And the letters were definitely from Anne. They hadn't been able to visit each other in the past 4 months since Annes departure as both of them had be busy with work and Anne lived a long two hours away by train. But the letters had helped his homesickness for his sister.  
Matthew, the bar tender, walked out from the back rooms and saw WD sitting engrossed in his own thought "Hey, WD! A letter arrived for you today. Hang on I'll get it"  
WD sat up straight and a small smile appeared on his face. Another letter from his sister? But he had only received one the other day. Maybe she missed them too much.  
Matthew came back into the room waving a letter in front of his face "Doesn't seem to be from Miss Anne this time. Not her writing I suppose" he said and handed the letter over.  
Confusion spread on WDs face. Who else would write him letters and send them to the bar? No one else knew his address besides his friends and his employer, who could always talk to him the next day at work. He took the letter and looked for the return address.  
'This is odd… I don't know this address. Who might this be?' he thought as he tore open the envelope. He picked up the single sheet of paper that fell out and started reading

 _Dear WD,_

 _I just wanted to write to you to tell you how terribly sorry I am about your loss. I cannot imagine how horrific it must be to lose a sister and I am incredibly sorry that it was my fault she perished in that fire. I wish I could reverse the roles and Anne could be safely at your side. I want you to know that I would give anything to see her smile again. I loved her more than anything in the world and would do anything in my power to bring her back. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am, that I broke my promise to you and to your sister, to protect her always. I tried but failed miserably. I will always carry that guild with me. I know it is too much to ask for forgiveness, but I wanted you to know that Anne was the most important person in my life. If I had gotten the chance, I would have given her the world and everything she_ _desired. I would have, and still will, loved her to the end of my days and made sure that she always new how amazingly wonderful she was. It will be hard living on without her, but I do not deserve any mercy or forgiveness for what I did… or did not do. I should have tried harder… I should have hold on for longer… I should have saved her. If there is ever anything you or the others need, please let me know. I will always be in debt to you as Anne's life is irreplaceable. I wish you would let me apologise in person but I can understand if that is too much to ask. Please take my sincere condolence and apologies. They would have come earlier but my health forbade me to send this at an earlier time._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Phillip Carlyle_

The letter dropped from his hands.  
"Is this a joke?" He asked the bar tender. "Did someone bring this letter in? Did you see who brought it? Who was it?" He fired questions at Matthew.  
There was no possible way that this letter could have come from Phillip Carlyle.  
Carlyle was dead… or was he?  
Now that he thought about it, there was never a funeral held. He never saw it mentioned in the newspaper. And news like this would have definitely made it to the paper.  
The son of the famous, white society man, Mr Carlyle perished trying to save a black woman. Of course that would have made it into the paper!  
WD pushed the chair backwards with such a force, that it flipped over. He quickly picked the letter up from the floor along with the envelope and raced upstairs to find Lettie and his other friends.  
Quickly he relayed what had happened and threw a few things in his bag. Everyone was excited and wanted to come, but WD calmed everyone down.  
It wouldn't be wise for everyone to turn up on the Carlyle's doorstep so late at night, and what if it wasn't true. If this wasn't Phillip that wrote the letter but had all been a joke. If Phillip was still dead, then it would be unwise for everyone to travel to the next town.  
And if he was alive, he could let them know and then they could all go and see their long lost friend.  
If WD hurried, he could catch the last train out to the address on the back of the envelope.  
It was only a ride of about 45 minutes to the place. He would arrive there late, but he didn't care.  
He had to make sure this was not a joke, or a mistake, or whatever this was…  
He had to see with his own eyes that Phillip Carlyle was alive before he could tell his sister.  
He boarded the train a mere half hour later, catching the last one to his destination.  
WD hoped with all his heart that the letter was not a fake. That Carlyle was truly alive.  
His sister would be over the moon… however, the news that he was dead had come straight from his parents.  
And they would certainly know if he was dead or not.  
But WD just had to make sure and not leave any possibility out. So he was on his way to the neighbouring town in the hope that everything could be cleared up.

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It was late at night, about 11 o'clock, but Phillip could not sleep.  
His guilt was eating away at him again and he found himself staring out of the window into the moonlit front garden of his parents house.  
He was about to turn back and finally head off to bed when he saw a figure standing in the shadow of a tree staring at the house.  
Phillip had to take a double look. He was sure he could see WD, but then again it was dark. It could be anybody.  
However, his gut instinct told him to go and investigate.  
His parents had been asleep for a while, so Phillip quietly tiptoed downstairs and to the front door. He opened it a tiny bit, taking in a breath. Then he ripped the whole door open, marching out onto the front porch.  
"Hey! Who is there? I can see you hiding in the shadows there" He yelled-whispered.  
Nothing happened for a couple of second but then a figure peeled itself from the shadow of the big tree in the front garden. The person stepped out onto the moonlit grass and walked towards Phillip.  
He gasped as his eyes caught the face of the person being lit up in the moonlight. He hadn't been seeing things.  
It was WD that was walking towards him.  
A flash of guilt flew over his face as he ran through every possible scenario in his head as to why WD would turn up on his front porch at this hour of the night. Was he going to beat him to a pulp for what he had done? If so, he deserved it.  
Phillip stood up straight and walked down the steps of the porch towards the other man.  
He couldn't read the expression on WDs face. It was too dark for that. However, he was surprised when, instead of a punch to the face, WD embraced him in a bone crushing hug.  
They had been friends before the fire, but never all touchy and hugging. They always had been the 'silent nodding and giving each other meaningful looks' kind of friends. And that only after WD had made sure that Phillip was not going to hurt his little sister.  
"WD? What are you doing here? Did you get my letter?" Phillip asked the taller man.  
WD pulled back and looked Phillip straight in the eyes "We thought you were dead! Your parents told us you died."  
Phillip's face fell into a look of confusion "What? Why? I mean I was in a come for the past four month, but hardly dead!"  
WD embraced him again "Anne was beside herself. Wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, wouldn't talk to any of us until your mother came by and offered her a job in a different town with one of your family's friend! Why on earth would they lie to us!"  
The thoughts wirred in Phillips brain "Wait… what? Anne is alive? Mother said she died in the fire. She said I was too late, that I couldn't save her. That I failed"  
The young man's legs gave out underneath him and hadn't it been for WDs strong grip, he would have been sliding down to the floor.  
"No! Anne is alive! She is very much alive! She was a mess when she thought you died! God I have to let her know! I have to send her a letter first thing tomorrow!"  
Phillip didn't understand the world anymore. His parents had told him that Anne was dead, but they had told Anne and his friends that he was dead. What was going on!  
Behind him, the door to the house opened and his father and mother came out, having been woken up by the voiced in their yard.  
"Phillip! What are you doing out here so late? You should be asleep. And who is this man? Are you mingling with the help again? I thought I told you that they are no good. Look at how your so called friends treated you!" his father yelled out.  
Having never seen WD before, he didn't know that this was one of his "so-called friends". His mother however had gone very pale. She had met WD at the bar when she told Anne about the job and remembered his face.  
"Phillip! Don't listen to anything this man is telling you. He is just trying to mess up your life and get you to come back to that you can give them all your money!" she cried out.  
Phillip stared at his mother with wild eyes "What are you talking about mother. WD has come to let me know that you two have been lying to their faces and to my face at that, too. Anne is alive! And so am I by the way… I have no idea what came over you. Did you think you could hide this forever? This is just incredible. I can't believe you would do that to them… to me! You made me believe the love of my life has died! I cannot be here any longer. WD! Let's go! We have to see Anne."  
With that he turned around and left his speechless parents standing on the front porch.  
He didn't bother packing a bag. Nothing in that house was important to him. He could borrow some clothes from WD or one of his other friends. He did not want to be associated with his parents ever again and wanted to leave as soon as possible to get to his girl. WD and Phillip took a room for the night and WD filled him in on everything that had happened.  
"Wait, you said that Anne was working with a friend of my families now in a different town? What's his name? I should know everyone my family knows." WD gave him the name and Phillips face paled "WHAT? Mother sent her to that devil of a man? WD, we have to get there as soon as possible. That man is everything but good to his staff. He sees coloured people as worthless and only employs them so he can be cruel to them and make them feel inferior. That is why he has to get help from different towns. No one in his town wants to work for him. They all know what he is like. I can't imagine that Anne stayed with him for that long. We have to go and get her right away. First train in the morning!"  
WDs face was white as a sheet. For the past four months he had thought that his sister was safe, that she was being treated fairly and that she had a good job.  
"But she writes often saying how wonderful it is there. And she sends money so she must be well off…" he argued, not wanting to believe that Anne was in danger.  
"I don't know how that fits in… all I know it that he is one of the cruellest men I have met and that it is dangerous for her there. I can't imagine that he is differently to her than to any other maid he had before. And I have been at his residence before and seen how he treats his workers. It's disgraceful. The worst I have ever seen. He beats them and one of the girls was even chained to the kitchen bench once because she had left the kitchen to get something from another room when she wasn't supposed to. It was horrid!" Philip claimed.  
Fear gripped WD as he remembered thinking that Anne didn't sound the same in the letters.  
'Please dear god, please let it be different for her. Let her be alright' he prayed silently.  
For the rest of the night neither man could sleep and they both tossed and turned until it was time to get ready to catch the first train out to where Anne was working. The two men were silently sitting next to each other during the train ride, both engrossed in deep thoughts, hoping Anne was alright.

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

WD and Phillip stopped in front of the big mansion in which Anne was supposedly working.  
WD compared the address to the one written in neat letters on the back of the envelopes Anne's letters always arrived in.  
It was the same address and WD whistled through his teeth "Geez… no wonder she was always able to send so much money in her letters. This place is huge. That guy must be one of the richest people in America!"  
Phillip looked at him grimly "Don't let that fool you. Being rich doesn't automatically make you a generous or good person. You wait out here. I don't think he would take it very well if I brought you along. You know what I mean."  
WD knew exactly what Phillip meant. Coloured people were not to come in through the front door and were certainly not ever guests to the owner of the house. He'd have to wait out at the carriage they had taken to the house and hope Phillip would be able to see Anne and make sure she was okay.  
He settled back into the carriage, watching Phillip walk up the long staircase to the main entrance. 

Inside, Anne was looking at herself in the tiny, broken mirror that hung on the bare wall of her room. She gingerly touched the left side of the face, which was already severely swollen. She had done something wrong again yesterday, she wasn't quite sure what, and her Master had slapped her heavily across the face.  
She had gotten used to the violence after the first couple of times. The first time it had happened, she had been shocked. Mrs Carlyle had told her how nice and generous her Master was with his staff and Anne had believed her. And when she had arrived at the mansion, everything had pointed to it being a great working environment.  
Her Master had been very welcoming and even picked her up from the train station. He had stayed welcoming for the first couple of weeks, but soon Anne realised that he could have a very bad temper, too.  
In her second week, she had accidentally dropped a freshly washed towel on the floor when she was on the way to the clothesline and her Master had been there and seen it. He had pushed her against the wall, making her drop the whole basket of wet clothes. Then he had hit her across the cheek and told her that she was an ungrateful and useless creature that nobody would ever want.  
He had seen the shock on her face and laughed right at her "Did you think you were worthy of niceness? Well think again. And don't even think about leaving. You won't make it far." Of course, Anne being Anne and having grown up around people like Master, had tried to leave that very day.  
She had grabbed her things that hadn't even been fully unpacked yet and walked right through the back door. Suddenly she had been grabbed from behind and hauled back towards the house.  
That night, her Master had beaten her nearly to unconsciousness. She cried herself to sleep the same night, wishing to be back with her family, to be with Philip. If only WD knew what was going on. He would come and save her like he always did.  
When she arose the next morning, she stumbled into the kitchen, still sore from the beatings of the previous night. Her Master was sitting at the dining table and beckoned her to come closer.  
When she was in arms reach, he pushed her on the floor in front of him and backhanded her across the face. Anne's head snapped to the side and she felt tears stinging in her eyes.  
But she didn't let them fall. 'Never let the rich see you cry' she remembered WD saying when she was little. And so she wouldn't, not in front of her Master anyway.  
He had kicked her to the floor and laughed sneeringly at her. "You are to call me Master at all times and are to obey every word I say. My dear friends, the Carlyles, are paying me a lot of money to make your life miserable and prevent you from ever going back home again. Said you tried to fool with their boy. You should be ashamed of yourself, you worthless piece of shit."  
He slapped her again and threw in a hard kick for good measure. "Unfortunately, this means we will also have to keep your family away from here. You will write them a letter right now that you have arrived well and love it here. I will tell you what to write and you'll write it just the way I say. If I see you trying to sneak anything in you won't see the living daylights ever again! It also means that we will have to send them some money as Mrs Carlyle said that this was one of the terms that made you agree to taking the job. Well, I guess that just means that most of your wage will go with those letters then. I hope you are used to dieting because I sure won't pay more money for your food and board if most of your wage has to go back to your freaky family!"  
Anne was indeed used to times when her and WD didn't have much to eat. Work had been hard to come by sometimes and there wasn't much money to buy food. But they had always survived.  
However, soon she realised that those times had still been more food filled than what she was about to experience. A couple of dry pieces of bread would be thrown to her each day that had to last the whole day. There was also water, but both were not enough to keep up Anne's healthy weight that she had gained at the circus.  
Soon her cheeks looked sunken in, dark shadows formed under her eyes and her slender fingers could feel each single rib protruding under her skin.  
But Anne kept her head high and continued working and obeying her Master. She was brought up a proud woman and did not let on how seriously hurt or ill she was becoming. The beatings never stopped and soon Anne was used to slaps and kicks on a daily basis.  
After a few weeks she started to accept her treatment more and more.  
Her thoughts changed from wanting to escape to 'I deserve this. Because of me Phillip died and I deserve to be punished for it'.  
So she stopped thinking about a plan for escape and just took the beating, sometimes even provoking them.  
She wrote what she was dictated for her letters, cleaned, cooked, did washing, listened to endless insults, took her daily beatings and went to bed hungry every day.  
The light in her eyes had long gone and every day was a struggle for her. Anne's will to live had gone and she just endured every day because she thought she deserved to suffer for Phillip's death. 

Anne turned away from the mirror and stood up from the little stool in her room.  
This was, besides a filthy mattress on the floor, the only piece of furniture in her room.  
She slowly shuffled out of the room and towards the kitchen. It was nearly 9 o'clock in the morning and master wanted his tea ready at exactly 9am.  
She put the tea pot on the stove and grabbed a cup out of the cupboard.  
Suddenly a loud knock could be heard from the front door and Anne tried to hear who arrived at the house at such an early hour.  
She learned on the first day, that answering the door was one of the jobs she was forbidden to do. Her Master liked it when he could greet his guests personally and did not want anyone to see the help until he called them to bring refreshments.  
At this point she could hear voices in the hall but was unable to make out who it was. She went back to the stove to add more water to the pot for the unexpected guest. Just a few minutes later, she heard a little bell signalling her to bring in refreshments for the guest.

Phillip knocked on the door heavily, waiting for a reply. He didn't have to wait long before the door was opened and a middle-aged man stood in front of him.  
"Phillip! What a surprise. Your parents didn't mention that you were coming by" the man said with a nervous smile.  
"Andrew… good to see you again. It was rather an unexpected trip and I thought I'd pop by while I'm in town. Mind if I come in? It would be lovely to catch up." Phillip didn't wait for the man's reply and pushed himself past the door.  
Andrew looked worriedly in the direction of the kitchen and ushered Phillip into the sitting room "Please, sit down. How was your trip? Train ride was comfortable? I really wish you would have given me some notice. I am awfully busy today."  
Phillip looked around for any sign of Anne and smiled coldly at the other man. "Oh I would have if I had known early enough to send a letter. Well I will just have a quick cup of tea with you and catch up and then I will be on my way. It will hardly be an inconvenience. It shouldn't take your made more than five minutes to bring tea and I will be gone shortly after, I promise."  
Phillip had realised that Andrew tried to get him out of the house and made it impossible for him to hide Anne any longer. The older man had a conflicted look in his eyes and gave an annoyed sign. He rang a bell that was set on the table and a few minutes later the door opened to present Phillip with the most wonderful yet horrible view.  
Anne walked through the door with a tray in her hands balancing two cups of steaming tea. She had yet to look up at who the guest was. He noticed the bruise on her face instantly and that her dress was hanging off her frame like a loose sack.  
An angry growl escaped his lips, which startled the woman and made her look up.  
Her face paled instantly and the tray with cups fell to the floor. Anne looked like she was about to faint. "Phillip? I have gone insane… no, it's not true." She shook her head slightly and looked at him again. Phillip smiled at Anne carefully and stepped towards her.  
However, Andrew blocked his way and raced towards Anne, who instantly cowered away and started to pick up the shattered cups that had fallen to the floor. Andrew towered over her, ready to strike her for her clumsiness.  
It took Phillip only a moment to be across the room, gripping Andrews raised hand and throwing him to the floor in the corner.  
Anne looked up at him again and smiled slightly. "I really have gone insane… now I even dream of you during the day that you'll save me. Must be the lack of food. It makes me hallucinate" she mumbled quietly.  
"Anne… Anne it's me. I'm not dead. I'm alive. And I'm here to take you home. WD is outside waiting. We are taking you home. It is all over now. Mother and Father have orchestrated all this to teach you and me a lesson for being together. They wanted you to think that I am dead and told me the same about you. But I'm alive, and you are alive. Everything is going to be alright!" Phillip rambled as he stepped closer to Anne, who was still mumbling about dreaming and that he was going to disappear in a moment.  
He couldn't take the distance any longer and dropped next to her and wrapped her in his arm.  
At his contact, Anne's face instantly faltered and she started to cry. Phillip picked her up bridal style while she was crying into his shoulder "Phillip! It is really you! I know because in my dreams I'm always so close but can never touch you. You are alive. God, I missed you so much!"  
She nuzzled her face into his shoulder and inhaled his scent deeply.  
Phillip gave Andrew a last glare and carried Anne out towards the carriage. He noticed how light she was and how her body had changed over the past months.  
He swore to himself to make it all better, to get her back to health and to make up for the hardship she had to endure under Andrews hand.  
Anne didn't even know how exhausted she had been but the strong arms around her made her feel save and everything that had happened lately came crushing down on her. Her body was finally allowed to feel the full brunt of the beatings and starvation and started shutting down slowly. The soft swinging of Phillips arms made her sleepy and for the first time in what seemed forever, she fell asleep feeling save. By the time Phillip made it to the carriage, Anne was fast asleep in his arms, catching up on months of restlessness.

To be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Seeing Phillip come back out of the house, his sister pressed closely to his body, WD quickly jumped out of the carriage and rushed towards him. Seeing her so small and frail brought tears to his eyes and he was worried that she wasn't just asleep but that she was seriously hurt.  
Phillip assured him that, even though Anne was hurt and horrible weak, she was just asleep and asked him to climb up the carriage and take her off him.  
WD quickly complied and held his sister tightly to himself, sitting down on the bench inside the wagon. He looked her over and anger washed across his face at seeing the deep bruising on her face and the thinness of her body.  
Phillip climbed back in the carriage and gave the driver the direction to take them back to the hotel. They would stay there for a while until Anne recovered enough to take her home.  
Both men were silent during the drive, listening to the shallow breaths coming from the girl in WDs arms. It would be a long road to get the Anne back they all new.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, Anne had still not woken.  
Phillip climbed out of the carriage to take her off her brother and quickly took her up to their room.  
He laid her on the bed and gave a quick look at WD "We will need to get her undressed and treated. I assume there is more hidden underneath than the bruise on her face. We have to make sure there isn't anything that needs to be looked at by a doctor."  
WD looked uncomfortably at the thought that the two men would have to undress his little sister, but he also knew that it was necessary. Who knew what marks and wounds that bastard had left on her.  
He gave a curt nod and moved forward to help Phillip take off the thin dress covering Anne's body, which left her in her underwear.  
Both drew in sharp gasps as they could finally see the slight frame of her body. Some of the scars had been there for a long while, WD knowing every one that had occurred before the siblings became part of the circus. However, there were deep scars and wounds, along with deep bruises all over her body, that were recently new.  
"What did that bastard do to you." whispered Phillip.  
"Looks like he starved her, too. You can see her ribs right through." added WD, tears welling up in his eyes.  
The men quickly cleaned her up as best as they could and dressed her in some clean pants and shirts from the men as her dress was very dirty and bare thread thin. They sat back on the only other bed available watching the young girl sleeping fitfully across the room.

Phillip had decided to take the floor in between the beds, allowing Anne and WD to have a comfortable sleep on the beds. His sleep was interrupted by whimpering, only shortly after he had finally been able to fall asleep. Phillip looked up and saw the bed WD had occupied earlier empty.  
He quickly sat up and looked over to where Anne was still sleeping, whimpering in her sleep. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and it looked like she was having a nightmare.  
Phillip got up and quickly walked over to the sleeping girl "Anne, wake up. You are having a nightmare. Come on, wake up."  
He touched Anne's arm and did not expect the force with which the girl jumped up, pressing herself into the corner of the bed. She looked like a deer caught in headlights and Phillip quickly gave her some space so that she wouldn't feel any more threatened.  
"Anne, it's me, Phillip. You are at mine and WDs hotel room. We got you out of that hell hole yesterday, far away from Andrew. You are save, everything is going to be okay." Phillip continued to calmly reassure her but Anne was not calming down.  
She tried to push herself as far as possible into the corner, mumbling words barely audible to Phillip. The only word he could make out was the words "He's going to be upset. Master is going to punish me if I don't obey."  
Phillip realised that Anne only addressed Andrew as Master and so he decided to approach her differently "Anne, your Master is not here. He will never lay a hand against you anymore. I'm here, Phillip. And WD will be here soon, your brother. You are save. Your Master will not hurt you anymore. You are not a slave. You are the most beautiful and strongest woman I know."  
Slowly Anne's scared eyes became clearer and she finally woke from her panicked state. She threw herself into Phillips arms and he held her close while she was sobbing uncontrollably.  
"Shhhh, it's okay. I've got you." The man started to sing quietly "What if we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine. Nothing could keep us apart. You'd be the one I was meant to find…"  
He was still singing when WD came quietly through the door, carrying bags that smelled deliciously like food.  
He looked over to the pair, his sister asleep in Phillips arms who was still playing with her hair.  
"Rough time while I was gone? Picked up some breakfast for us. Thought it'd be good to start getting her weight up again."  
Phillip nodded a thanks and whispered back "She woke up terrified from a nightmare. I can still not believe what that bastard put her through. This was the only way she calmed down"  
WD looked grim "It will be a long road but we'll get there. She is save now. We just have to be there for her."

To be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Anne wrapped the scarf tighter around her body.  
She was sitting on a bench along the river, looking at the lights that danced across the water.  
Suddenly an armed wrapped around her and she flinched briefly, before recognising the smell of the man that pressed a light kiss onto her head.  
"Hey, sorry it took so long. But there was so much paperwork still to finish. WD says to let you know that he wanted to practise that new routine first thing in the morning." Phillip dropped down next to her on the bench, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.  
She chuckled slightly "So much for my plan of sleeping in tomorrow."  
Phillip smiled slightly at her. "I think he just wants to spend as much time with you as possible. I think he is worried you'll forget him now that you don't share a last name anymore."  
Anne laughed lightly.  
It had been a rough road for her to recover from her time working at Andrew's mansion. It had taken her a lot of time to heal from her physical wounds and even more to stop flinching at every touch or sudden noise.  
It still happened sometimes, but less and less the more time she spent with the people she loved.  
WD and Phillip had played a big role in making her feel save and loved and it had been wonderful to be reunited with her circus family again.  
It had turned out that Phillip had been smart and taken his cut of the 10% he owned of the circus every week before it had burned down. He had saved enough to help rebuild it, even though now they had tents they used for the performance and as their living quarters.  
The circus was more popular than ever and one day, a few months after they had gotten back home, Phillip had surprised Anne at that night's show.  
He had dropped down on one knee after the last performance in front of every performer and the whole audience and pulled out a beautiful ring.  
WD had stood behind him, giving his sister the biggest smile.  
She had gasped excitedly, not being able to fully comprehend what was happening. The whole crew was standing there watching her and every eye in the audience was focused on her.  
The moment she had said yes and Phillip picked her up and twirled her around the ring, was one of the happiest times in her life.  
Her family had crowded around them, congratulating them and laughing with them. There had been a celebration that lasted until deep into the night and Barnum had generously shouted endless rounds of alcohol that night.

Anne snuggled closer into Phillips side, smiling slightly as he pressed another kiss onto her forehead. There were still times the two were overcome with memories of the time they were forced apart and thought each other was dead.  
Anne still woke up to terrible nightmare occasionally, but Phillip was always there to hold her and whisper sweet words of nothingness into her ears and sing to her.  
The past couple of years had been incredibly hard, but Anne new that happy times laid ahead.  
"Come on Mrs Carlyle. Let's get you home. It is getting cold and I don't like it much when you are out this late in you state."  
Anne drew out a slight sigh. Phillip had been very protective ever since he had rescued her from Andrews house, but was even more so since she had given him the news about 6 months ago.  
She struggled upright and Phillip offered his hand to pull her up.  
"I feel like a stranded Whale" laughed Anne.  
"Well you are the most beautiful stranded whale in the whole wide world" Phillip countered and wrapped his arms around his wife.  
"And when our little miracle is born, it will all have been worth it." Anne rested her hand on her pregnant stomach and smiled.  
Soon a little version of her and Phillip would be running around.  
Life was going to be perfect... 

The end...


End file.
